Do Not Touch Her!

Ida closed her eyes, her mind tumbling at what this man just said, there was no way that the forbidden oracle could be an illusion. She wanted to confirm if it was but at least she prayed the oracle was real and she wouldn't have to go through hell to look for the real oracle.

"What do you have to convince me?"

"We could just capture you," Lucian pointed out, letting her know that she had no choice but to follow them. He stared at Alvin and back to Ida but this time it was a glare, "Witch, what is your business with the oracle? You are so much carried away just by the look of it, why?"

Ida numbly stared at Cole whose eyes still seemed to be heavy then she took a last look at the forbidden oracle before replying the whack of a person, "Lucas or Lucian..." She started while Lucian continued to glare at her, "What is your business with me?"

"Alright, Okay it is. Let's get some stuff doing," Alvin said. He walked away from the cage and stepped on a small stone a few metres away, then suddenly, the cage disappeared, Ida thought she was free until she sensed that Lucian was too near, before she could escape, her wrists were already embroidered with harsh chains. "A good job, boy." Alvin acknowledged Lucian before staring at the roof.

"Do you think I can't break loose from this petty chain?" Ida looked at Lucian with her peripheral vision while glancing at the sack from time to time.

"You can," Lucian confirmed.

"You can not." Alvin shook, his ears flaring off as if he had just realised something tangible.

She did not understand what Alvin meant. Why was he freaking? Why couldn't she break loose of the chain and escape with the forbidden oracle in a flash? It was easy to say but it did not mean it was hard to do. "Why? Scared that you would not get paid and you would eat the grasses?" Ida asked but her eyes were majorly fixed on Lucian.

Lucian looked at Alvin and Ida for a split second before he burst into his agonising and funny laughter, "Look here, who told you not to free yourself? I am not stopping you." He smiled, his lips becoming wider as he continued to smoothen his hair.

"He is weird," Ida grunted.

"It's not impossible to free yourself from the chain on your wrists." He paused, "but you would get some injury which would make it hard to pass through the beasts' land in guise."

"Why?" She croaked. Not like she wanted to go with them to whatever town they came from but she was interested in the illusion of a thing. These men were not wizards or witches how was it possible for them to create illusions? Even she could not do even the simplest illusion. Like creating the illusion of a pear with an apple.

"That is because... the beasts have a great sense of hearing. They can tell humans' blood from theirs."

"Smelling!" Lucian corrected.

Ida shook her head in mockery, "and they are unable to tell a human's aura?"

Alvin just shrugged. He walked to Lucian and whispered something in his ear then he proceeded to the entrance. Seeing this, Lucian walked and took more distance away from Cole before he sat down on the chair, "Hey man...can you remember your name?"

Cole's face squeezed in confusion before he nodded.

"So, good. How are you friends with the witch over there?" He said, tilting his head slightly to Ida, who heard his questions.

Cole smiled a little before turning into a cold frown, "Who are you and why is she chained?" He slowly stood up to walk to Ida and inspect if there was any wound or if she had been assaulted.

"Tsk. I could have added more tranquiliser," Lucian murmured before walking to the both of them but focusing his entire attention on Cole. "I'm asking you a question!"

Before Cole or Ida was about to give him a response Alvin walked in and instinctively faced Lucian, "It's about to wear off."

Just like a flash, all the walls of the pavilion began to turn into a solid smoke. Cole looked around, almost freaking out while Ida mysteriously stared at the walls before they dried down.

Cole gasped in shock as the smoke well off. He thought he was dreaming when he saw where they were. All the chairs and tables were turned into something else. "What...what are all these?" He questioned, his eyes still set on every single corner where he had once seen many things. The chairs and tables were now replaced with dry leaves. Everywhere became extremely cold, weird, and just suffocating at the same time.

When he heard Goldie neigh, he turned back and saw the tied horse.

If they hadn't come earlier, they would have thought nothing existed here. It looked like they had disappeared from the pavilion and were now standing many meters from the entrance. If he hadn't seen the dry leaves and some rough animal flesh replaced with whatever he had seen before, he would have denied that they were still in the pavilion.

On the other side, Ida was completely dazed. She was stunned. Never had she seen something as beautiful as this. Not that the already disappeared pavilion was beautiful it was that the magic and the creation were just too outstanding. She kept gazing everywhere until she felt a heavy push which made her land on the ground. And there he was, the annoying, bleeding bastard. He was looking at her, enjoying watching her face decorated with defeat, "Let's treat her as who she is, mate, as captive." He kicked her legs while laughing at her.

"Lucian halt. The princess would not like it if her witch is too weak to create spells for her." Alvin stopped Lucian who seemed to be enjoying the look on Ida's face before he felt a heavy blow on his face.

Turning his neck to his side, he glared at Cole, "what was that?!" Before he could continue, another blow landed on his chin and he spat out blood.

"Even though I'm a muggle, I can still do that, you son of a stick. Do not touch her again."

Seeing this, Lucian exasperated and shook his head vigorously, "Huh really? You monster!"

Ida who was previously lying on the ground stood up to kick Lucian. Though it did not hurt, Lucian was surprised at her outburst, "I am the only one entitled to call him a monster. Don't even dare."

Still shocked, Lucian continued to shake his head. He angrily swayed his long hair from his face before staring at Alvin, his veins popping out from his forehead, "Look at them. What the hell are they trying to pull?!"

He walked away from their midst and climbed on his horse before riding away.